How Grampian streamlined planned maintenance through PfH's Materials framework
Grampian Housing Association provides over 4,000 affordable homes across 3,372 square miles of North East Scotland, from Aberdeen city to rural Aberdeenshire and Moray. Its in‑house maintenance company, TLC, installs kitchens and bathrooms and carries out painting and decorating across all properties. Ensuring operatives have the right materials at the right time is essential to maintaining high service standards and minimising disruption for tenants.ased in Inverclyde and set up via a stock transfer in 2007, River Clyde Homes (RCH) manages around 6,000 properties and provides services to a further 2,250 homes.
THE PROBLEM
Fragmented supply chains, rising costs and rural logistics slowing down planned works
Before adopting a managed materials solution, TLC relied on multiple suppliers for kitchens, bathrooms, windows, doors and more. Some materials were stored in temporary containers on site, which were costly to hire. Operatives often had to drive long distances to collect items, reducing productivity.
“We were holding an average of £20,000 in stock earlier this year. Sometimes operatives had to travel around two hours to get an item we didn’t have, and if something was missing then tenants could be left waiting a week for the job to be finished” , says Anshu Mathur, General Manager of TLC.
With 21 operatives, 17 vans and multiple teams working across large rural areas, Grampian needed a more efficient, consolidated and controlled approach to materials procurement.
THE SOLUTION
A single, managed materials service through PfH’s compliant solution
Grampian procured a five‑year managed stores contract with Jewson Partnership Solutions (JPS) through our Material Supply and Associated Services Framework which provided a compliant, streamlined route to market, with close support from our team.
JPS now acts as a single-source materials partner, holding stock on Grampian’s behalf. Large items – such as kitchens, windows and doors – are delivered directly to site, while operatives collect smaller items from JPS’s Aberdeen Hub where they can also access meeting rooms and workspace.
Operatives have been issued with PfH account cards enabling them to quickly buy core products for maintenance work at discounted prices. These cards help Grampian to analyse and monitor operative spend and control costs.
“Tools like Quantum really allow me to monitor spend, track supplier performance, and make accurate, data-driven decisions. All this helps contribute to better outcomes for our residents and the long-term sustainability of our housing stock.”
Alexander Carle, Director of Asset Management, Grampian Housing Association
“A key benefit are cost savings achieved due to stock storage at Jewson’s site, which now means we no longer pay for any storage containers on sites, enabling us to save a lot of money on that.”
Anshu Mathur, General Manager, TLC
“It’s all about ensuring that Grampian have the right materials in the right place at the right time. Being on the PfH framework aligns perfectly with how we operate, and we work closely with their account management team to keep contracts up to date and support product innovation.”
Jennifer Millar, National Account Manager at JPS
THE RESULTS
A streamlined materials service delivering efficiency, higher satisfaction and stronger community impact
The impact of the Materials Framework has been significant. The value of materials held by Grampian has reduced by 80%, freeing up space and reducing financial exposure. Operatives no longer spend hours travelling to collect materials, improving productivity and reducing maintenance delays.
Tenant satisfaction levels have also improved, with installations completed more reliably, and missing components a far less frequent occurrence.
Financial oversight has strengthened too. TLC uses Quantum, our spend and contract management platform, to monitor materials spend, payment terms and supplier performance. This visibility supports better decision‑making and gives the team accurate data to negotiate supplier discounts. There’s also been a reduction in administration, with Grampian no longer having to process invoices from many different suppliers.
Importantly, as part of their social value commitment, JPS contributes 0.5 – 1% of Grampian’s annual materials spend to a community fund, which the housing association uses to support tenant schemes and communal improvements.
Together, PfH, JPS and Grampian have created a more efficient, reliable and community‑focused materials service – one that is improving outcomes for residents, operatives and the wider organisation.